2020 June Summer Solstice Plot - Catch All!

[tramitem]

Who: Anyone and everyone in Trames - Please use this as a catach all for all your Summer Solstice Plot fun!
What: Exploring a whole knew world
When: Anytime between June 20 - July 4
Where: Around Krajina Božstiev
Rating/Warnings: Please add warnings to your top-levels/threads as needed


The streets of Krajina Božstiev are dusty and crowded. So many people on their way to live their lives. Markets, taverns, the Temple, the Palace. What do you look at first? What do you buy? Where to do you find yourself exploring?

Take a moment to appreciate the shine of the Temple. The beauty of the Palace gardens. The quiet serenity of the Library. The simplistic, but filling food in the taverns. Or the peaceful quaintness of the hills. A new world has opened up and somehow it all just seems simpler over here. People seem happy (mostly) in this existence.

Maybe...

Watch out for the occasional person going into a rage on the other side of the street or tavern. That can't mean anything...

Comments

[neverjedi]

Ben has chewing gum, chapstick, a headache, and a lot of appreciation that his job is both physical and leg focused.

It has been a long day and he was looking forward to going home, and to bed.

Was looking forward to, because now-

"Harder than we can manage without a battering ram. Now a good time to tell you someone told me to pray if I went outside the City?"

[darkforcerising]

Anakin leveled a look at Ben. "Now you tell me. Did that person tell you why you should pray if you go outside the City?"

[neverjedi]

He looks mildly back, because dammit Anakin (and Ben): "Something about trembling hills?"

[darkforcerising]

Anakin continued that look for just a moment longer then he turned back to the door and pounded on it as hard as he could.

But nothing happened but that his hand hurt.

"Ow, that door is some really solid wood."

[neverjedi]

"Yeah, it is. That's why I said harder than anything we were going to manage to find. So let's go find somewhere to try to be, because moving around right now sounds like a horrible idea."

No need to draw attention to.. anything.

Now he really wants his lightsaber.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin frowned at Ben, though it wasn't the other man's fault his hand hurt.

But he shrugged, "Fine, lead the way." And then he started asking a bunch of questions. "There was that stand of trees back up the road a bit. Do you know how to start a fire? Should we start a fire? Were you ever a boy scout? I should warn you I'm pretty annoying when my meds wear off, especially when my anxiety is really high."

[neverjedi]

"I am an ice skater. I have memories of starting fires and camping, but I don't think I have the equipment I'd need, here." Which was a problem but he still relaxed into the questioning and reached out and squeezed Anakins's elbow. "I'm sure I'll be fine. Let's just find some shelter first, okay?"

[darkforcerising]

Anakin shook his head, because he was panicking like an idiot.

"And I've been through basic training." He looked up like he was seeking a higher power to give him strength, though he didn't believe in god.

"Let's head towards those trees. I'll share my candy and water with you."

[neverjedi]

He looked toward the treeline and started hiking. "Water, yes. Candy you keep for you, you're going to need it more than me and I am really not hungry or likely to be before morning."

He was, in spite of everything, seemingly very calm. Worried, actually, but a controlled kind of worry.

[darkforcerising]

"I have granola bars and trail mix, also," Anakin said, hopeful that would pique Ben's interest. They'd been walking a lot all afternoon and evening. He didn't buy that Ben wouldn't be hungry before dawn.

[neverjedi]

"If I get hungry, I'll raid your granola bars," he agreed, as much to reassure Anakin as because it was likely. He was also not loving the climb back toward the trees. He was in good shape, but it was going to be a long night. At best. "...I wonder how bad bugs here are."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin was active, and he felt like he had an unending supply of energy, but he didn't train the way Ben did. And when they finally reached the trees, he was happy to pick a spot and sit down.

He plopped his backpack between them and took out the water bottles and handed one to Ben straight away. Then he grabbed a back of gummie bears to snack on.

"I'm sorry we're stuck out here tonight."

[neverjedi]

"It isn't a big deal and it isn't your fault." He cracked the water bottle open and took a long drink. "It'll be uncomfortable but as long as we're both alive and in one piece in the morning it will be fine."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin was used to apologizing.

"You say that now, but when the monsters show up..."

He was sure monsters wouldn't show up, no one in the city talked about this hills being a horror show.

"So... how's life?"

[neverjedi]

That question makes him laugh. "Just fine until I have to call and cancel my early lessons tomorrow morning and come up with an excuse. Think they'd just accept getting stuck in an alternate universe?"

[darkforcerising]

Anakin laughed. "Okay, that's the future. How has the recent past been?"

[neverjedi]

"Pretty standard in a weird way," he admitted. "Work's work, relationship's trucking along, even the memory stuff hasn't had anything crop up since the scars. It's almost calm."

Almost boring even.

[darkforcerising]

Anakin barked a laugh. "I think you just dared the universe to make like uncalm again. If monsters show up tonight, I'm definitely blaming you."

He started rearranging things in his backpack so he could use it as a pillow.

"So... it's a relationship now?"

[neverjedi]

He crossed his legs and leaned forward so his arms were braced and holding him up-right-ish.

"If they do, I will take that blame and deserve it." As for relationship he turned it over in his head. "I think so. Usually sometime after more than one date and sex it qualifies. I don't know that it's serious, though."

[darkforcerising]

Anakin eyed Ben as he shifted his backpack behind him and laid down on it.

"Not serious, huh? What makes you say that?"

[neverjedi]

"Because he is anticipating problems due to our age difference and I can only let myself get so serious when that's looming over my head."

Ask the man a question....

[darkforcerising]

"Age difference- You didn't mention that before," Anakin said, a mix of concern and understanding. And he was concerned for a variety of reasons- he didn't want to see Ben get hurt, and he was also wondering why Ben didn't mention this before.

"What's the age difference?"

[neverjedi]

"That's because I'm not particularly worried about. The difference is about ten years, I think. Maybe a little more."

[darkforcerising]

"You're not worried about it?" Anakin asked. "But it's keeping you from letting things get serious?" Anakin wondered if Ben noticed the contradiction.

[neverjedi]

"The age difference itself does not worry me," he clarifies. "At all. That someone I am in a relationship with is anticipating trouble from any source does. It makes me feel like like they may just be... waiting for a reason not to have to commit"